Unplugged: Raptors on the season that was

Toronto Raptors on the season that was

In advance of the team’s final game of the regular season, against New Jersey on Thursday night, several of the Toronto Raptors’ players met with the media on Thursday morning. Here are some of the more noteworthy quotes:

“It feels better. My priority is to make sure at the beginning of next year I’m ready to go for 82 games. That’s my priority. It feels good, but it doesn’t really matter how it feels now.” – Andrea Bargnani on his calf injury

“I proved I can play at that level. So that’s what I expect to do next year, right?” – Bargnani on whether his first 13 games represent the real him

“The first thing is a little bit more experience, more than this year. We had a very young team. That will come from the mistakes that we made this year. We played a lot of games that were very tight until the end. Most of them, we lost them.” – Bargnani on what the team needs

“For me it was the day I got injured, a few minutes before, that was the best part of the season for me because we won in Phoenix the day before and we were winning [in Utah]. I was really excited. Things change fast.” – Bargnani on the most encouraging part of the season

“I feel different. Yeah, we had three, four bad games but I think we showed we can compete against everybody. We’re not that far from anything. Sometimes it’s not about players, it’s how you approach the game, how you play the game and I think that’s what coach Casey has been doing here where we are trying to build. … I’m not going to home and say, ‘yeah, great season.’ For sure, I don’t like to lose at all but I see good stuff. I see we’re really growing and we are just one step short to do what we want to do.” – Jose Calderon on the season

“The Andrea we saw at the beginning is the Andrea who is going to be here next year and the Andrea we need to keep growing up. He grew up in almost every aspect of the game … He makes everything easier for us when we play out there, he gives us more space.” – Calderon on Bargnani

“Honestly I think they’re going to say that the rest of my career, no matter if I get to 300 pounds. They’ve been saying that my whole career. I do need to get stronger so I’m going to be in the weight room all summer.” – Ed Davis on putting on muscle

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“I think we have a different game. We have similar like we’re both 6-9, 6-10, athletic. I think he runs the floor better than I do, I think I do stuff better than him. We complement each other well. When we’re on the court it’s not like it doesn’t mix.” – Davis on a pairing with Amir Johnson

“Just defence, I don’t have to worry too much on my offensive game, I know that’s going to come. Just defence, once they that down pat everything else will come easy.” – DeMar DeRozan on what he needs to improve

“Yeah, I think so. Been a couple of time when I probably thought otherwise but I definitely thought so. I just try to be consistent, go out there and play hard every night, be aggressive, and let it go from there.” – DeRozan on getting more respect from officials

“Sometimes your body don’t do what your mind wants you to do and you feel like you can do more sometimes. That was where I was at — thinking I can do a lot more to help this team win. That’s not what Dwane had in mind. There was a little altercation and then it was back to being the same player that I have always been — able to go out and work hard and play hard defence and if the ball comes to me it’s an opportunity it score.” – James Johnson on his two-game suspension from Dwane Casey in April

“In the playoffs with Toronto.” – Johnson on where he sees himself next year

“That’s something I’m still searching for. … “I’m still searching. Whatever they want me to do here I’m willing to do, but I think I’m still searching.” – Jerryd Bayless on his role